Undercover Archie

LIFE WITH ARCHIE #109 (and #23) - Remembering Amnesia!

No, that isn't the cover to Life with Archie #109, it's the cover to Life with Archie #23. I'm starting this post off with it because it's another cool old comic I picked up for $1 at a recent show.

Featuring a fairly ho-hum cover (as far as Archie Comics and Life with Archie in particular goes) from the nevertheless under appreciated Bob White, the story inside (Sy Reit) isn't much to talk about either. However, it went on sale on August 1st, 1963, FIVE DAYS before I was born.
That's kinda cool.

(LIFE WITH ARCHIE #23 cover dated October 1963, on newsstands August 1st, 1963, with cover art by Bob White)

Hink Brinkley is on a search for 'America's Most Loveable Teenager' (of all the cockamamie things), and lo and behold, there he is in Riverdale - Archie himself. That's pretty much it. They search. They find him. Mr. Lodge thinks it's horrible, then concedes he IS loveable. 

Yoinks.

(LIFE WITH ARCHIE #23 cover dated October 1963, on newsstands August 1st, 1963, with art by Bob White)

We jump ahead 8 years and here for the topic of discussion today is Life with Archie #109 with a cover by, according to me, Dan DeCarlo (with inks by Ridy Lapick). The give away is Veronica's side profile.

Again, as far as Archie covers go and Life with Archie covers in particular, this one is another ho-hum entry. 

(LIFE WITH ARCHIE #109 cover dated May 1971, on newsstands March 9th, 1971, with cover art by what looks to me like Dan DeCarlo)

But then we get to the story. And we start off with a flower pot crashing down on Archie's head. As low brow as it may sound, this always gets a chuckle out of me, and we even get to see Archie's goofy care free grinning face PRE-CRASH.

What can I say? I'm sometimes easily amused by the simplest of things. 

(LIFE WITH ARCHIE #109 cover dated May 1971, on newsstands March 9th, 1971, with art by Dan DeCarlo?)

It gives Archie amnesia and he honestly doesn't remember a thing. Jughead tries to get him to kiss Midge, hoping a punch from Moose will bring him back to normal, but even in this state Archie is too aware to fall for it.

Instead, he runs into Betty at POPS, and he is delighted she's CRAZY about him. He can't believe his good fortune!

(LIFE WITH ARCHIE #109 cover dated May 1971, on newsstands March 9th, 1971, with art by Dan DeCarlo?)

Of course, Veronica shows up and she's having none of that, but...

(LIFE WITH ARCHIE #109 cover dated May 1971, on newsstands March 9th, 1971, with art by Dan DeCarlo?)

What a great ad for (the comic of course) the 'groovy' fashions showing up in comics in 1971! But what the hell is Jughead wearing?

(LIFE WITH ARCHIE #109 cover dated May 1971, on newsstands March 9th, 1971, with art by Dan DeCarlo - almost sure of it.)

To finish things off we get a great panel from (I think) Bill Vigoda, that... looks rather amateur-ish to be quite honest, but perfectly conveys its message. I can't help it - I think it's funny.

(LIFE WITH ARCHIE #109 cover dated May 1971, on newsstands March 9th, 1971, with art by Bill Vigoda?)

A nice $1 comic to read on a lazy evening.